You Can't Be Serious Bloghttp://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog
Just another WordPress weblogTue, 10 Mar 2015 08:02:34 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.9.1Family portrait film.http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/family-portrait-film/
http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/family-portrait-film/#commentsTue, 10 Mar 2015 01:12:38 +0000http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/?p=3234Hi there! So today we are super excited to bring you a little portrait film of the loveliest of families. The Blacks.

Sarah is an amazing photographer and I am pretty honoured to have been capturing her and her family for many years!

This little film was made hanging out at home for an afternoon. From sports in the backyard to decorating a new cubby house, these are the little things that we all want to remember well!

Hope you enjoy!

]]>http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/family-portrait-film/feed/0Eye spy YOU!http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/why-we-love-family-portraits/
http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/why-we-love-family-portraits/#commentsThu, 18 Dec 2014 12:16:45 +0000http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/?p=3204It’s that time of year again when I get a few phone calls and emails about family portraits. Sometimes people aren’t sure whether I still do family photos anymore, but yes indeedy we do, and we love them!

This is the perfect time to get a little portrait taken of you and your loved ones – just in time for the new year!

To inspire you a little bit, below are some shots we took of a sweet family during our trip to Brazil earlier this year. These were taken on our very first workshop.. so many good memories from that trip… and such a gorgeous family… ahhhhh….

huge hugs and many memories… and a super happy Christmas break to you and your family!

]]>http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/why-we-love-family-portraits/feed/1So you want to be an insta-sensation?http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/so-you-want-to-be-an-insta-sensation/
http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/so-you-want-to-be-an-insta-sensation/#commentsTue, 11 Nov 2014 03:17:57 +0000http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/?p=3174Instagram is about so much more than selfies, follow-for-follow, and puppies wearing hats

Our family is a little tragic when it comes to Instagram. No matter where we go, we’re always snapping photos individually or as a collective insta-huddle. Many parents – understandably – might see apps like Instagram as yet another virtual world that can suck their children in, and separate them from time spent with their family. For us though, we try to make it an opportunity to have fun together.

We’ve put together some tips and a short film that you might like to use as a guide to get your family taking great pictures together!

Our tips for family fun on Instagram

1. Be present to your kids on the app
First of all, you’ll all need to get an account. Learn to use it and know how the app works… be on top of things like direct messages and have a plan of action around who the kids can accept messages from. We only let our kids accept from people we know in real life. Decide together if you want the accounts to be private or open – there’s advantages and disadvantages to both. Be present to what is going on for your kids. While you’re not out to monitor every comment, it’s important to be aware of who they’re communicating with and generally what they’re talking about. If people leave a rude or mean comment, chat about it with them. Talk to them about the type of images they put up and the messages that sends. For example, let’s not put up a photo of you laying in your bikini on the sand… because generally speaking, you don’t want strangers looking at that!

2. Help each other take photos

Be in your kids shots… help them with photography tips. For example, let’s try to keep that horizon nice and level! Chat about which shot to choose from a bunch of great images. Chat about processing and ask their opinion on the shot they like the best. Share in the fun of filters and photography.

3. Stop the car sometimes

When driving past a flower field or something fun, make time to spontaneously jump out of the car and run around photographing things together. We are hilarious… on a recent trip to New Zealand we would all see some beautiful tree in front of a shining reflective lake at the same time and go sprinting toward it at once. The kids yelling and all of us wrestling for the best spot to photograph it. It was lots of fun! In the end we all got our shot of the tree - each slightly different to the others.

4. Not about the numbers

Remember that this is about fun and the joy of taking the type of photos you love to take. Lots of people get very caught up in the ‘follow-for-follow’ world or measuring their success only by their number of followers or how many likes a picture attracts. While having an audience to interact with is great, it is not the ultimate goal. Remember to take the photos YOU love to take. I like shots of my kids and nature and use my IG a bit like a diary of images. Andrew uses Instagram to share the type of work he loves… interesting architectural details and large sweeping landscapes. Zali uses instagram to keep in touch with her blogging friends and share artwork and crafting and yummy food. Poppy loves a bit of everything at this stage and we are encouraging her to continue to find the type of work she loves. Knowing the type of photos you enjoy best is an important first step in finding the part of the community that will inspire you and encourage you the most.

5. Can be a little addictive

Warning! You can sometimes get a little caught up in the fun of the app – whether it’s editing a photo, checking your latest comments or seeing what your friends have been up to – so do try to make sure that everyone puts their devices away sometimes and just enjoys the moment. Don’t forget to live and enjoy each other more than your photos!

Happy snapping – and if you’re on Instagram and want to see the finished results of some pics you see us shooting in the film, please check out:

We’re making a series of family videos that you might like to keep an eye out for. If you’re interested in seeing more, or have a suggestion for a family related film, please leave a comment below.

]]>http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/so-you-want-to-be-an-insta-sensation/feed/4365 reasons to check out our new site!http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/365-reasons-to-check-out-our-new-site/
http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/365-reasons-to-check-out-our-new-site/#commentsFri, 17 Oct 2014 01:29:16 +0000http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/?p=3162Those who have been following our work for awhile will be very familiar with our 365 Grateful project. If you’re not familiar, you’re about to be!

We were very grateful and excited this week to launch a brand new site containing all things 365!

There’s the original story, there are films to watch, there’s Hailey’s recent TEDx talk (that you can see below if you haven’t already), there’s information about our book, some of the original Polaroids from all those years ago, and opportunities to connect with others using hashtags as well as suggestions on starting your own project. Is that 365 reasons? Well, it’s close! But don’t take my word for it, check it out for yourself!

Special thanks for the wonderful site design and construction to Pitchstarter.

P.S. Keep an eye on the site as we will be adding more content and new films in the near future!

]]>http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/365-reasons-to-check-out-our-new-site/feed/5“I don’t care if I get hit by a bus tomorrow…”http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/i-dont-care-if-i-get-hit-by-a-bus-tomorrow/
http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/i-dont-care-if-i-get-hit-by-a-bus-tomorrow/#commentsMon, 13 Oct 2014 09:59:07 +0000http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/?p=3146Last month we were commissioned to create four mini-documentaries for Suncorp Group in association with Brainheart. These videos describe the way Suncorp Brighter Futures grants are making a difference in the lives of people who are facing challenges. From a group of retired men making wheelchairs for kids in developing countries to disabled children learning to ride horses, these stories are so important.

Meeting the people involved, hearing the stories and putting the films together was a truly inspiring process. It is so encouraging to be hired to tell such positive stories and to be part of something that is making many people’s lives better.

]]>http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/i-dont-care-if-i-get-hit-by-a-bus-tomorrow/feed/2Nissa’s storyhttp://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/nissas-story/
http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/nissas-story/#commentsMon, 21 Jul 2014 14:56:45 +0000http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/?p=3125One of the reasons for our last trip to India was to film and photograph some stories for our friends at TEAR Australia.

One of these stories was about Nissa. Nissa lives with her family in a small town in the north of India. Climate change and deforestation have made it very difficult for many families to grow crops, feed themselves and even stay together, but new techniques and an awareness of the importance of looking after the earth have brought new life to the soil. The flow on effects of this have been a huge benefit to the lives of Nissa and her family.

]]>http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/nissas-story/feed/1Tips for cultivating a creative lifehttp://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/tips-for-cultivating-a-creative-life/
http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/tips-for-cultivating-a-creative-life/#commentsTue, 08 Jul 2014 13:16:11 +0000http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/?p=3116This morning we had the honour of talking at the very cool GiddyUp Breakfast Club.

They asked us to talk about our experiences of cultivating a creative life – as a family. To help us explain some of the things we have learnt along the way, we hired a very special illustrator (Miss Zali) to create some lovely pictures for us.

We thought it would be great to share it here with you too! In fact, if you’d like to win a shiny new print of this sheet, please leave a comment below. We will choose 10 to send a copy to. Anywhere you happen to be.

We certainly hope you find this useful and hope it sparks something new and exciting in your journey!

]]>http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/tips-for-cultivating-a-creative-life/feed/29GirlUp – Australiahttp://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/girlup-australia/
http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/girlup-australia/#commentsSat, 07 Jun 2014 06:43:14 +0000http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/?p=3066I am so very excited to be involved in the release of GirlUp in Australia.

Before making these films I had no idea what GirlUp was, but now I know! GirlUp is all about empowering girls in countries like Australia and the US to get together in clubs with the purpose of helping and supporting girls their age in developing nations. It is a great cause and hopefully from these videos many other girls will be inspired to start their own clubs. I know my girls are super inspired!!

Special thanks to Cathie Reid for initiating this project and getting me to make these films! It was a total delight to be involved with this wonderful project.

Take a look at these stories and if you like them please share them with the young girls in your lives.

The first film is Sascha’s own story and experience with starting up her GirlUp club.

This next one is aimed more at parents who might want to know what the experience was like from a parents point of view – and also from a teachers point of view.

Hope you enjoy and are inspired to start a club too!

]]>http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/girlup-australia/feed/1I can do this!http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/i-can-do-this/
http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/i-can-do-this/#commentsFri, 23 May 2014 01:48:54 +0000http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/?p=3053Know someone who’s between 12 and 15 and super excited to embark on an exciting career?

Well, we have the perfect opportunity for them. We’re involved in planning a new TV series that will take passionate kids on a journey to find out all they can about their brilliant career – taught to them by the very best in the business!

To be in the running, all they need to do is to tell us their story by emailing and we’ll be in touch.

Please help us spread the word by sharing this with anyone you know who could be interested!

]]>http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/i-can-do-this/feed/0India, I love you!http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/india-i-love-you-2/
http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/india-i-love-you-2/#commentsTue, 13 May 2014 11:23:47 +0000http://www.youcantbeserious.com.au/blog/?p=3010It’s been an amazing few months for us! We’ve worked on some really interesting jobs and eaten far too much airline food!

In March we had two development jobs in India and they were incredible to work on. But before I tell you about them, I want to share about the little holiday we had for two wonderful weeks in that unforgettable country.

We met up with our gorgeous friends Jean and Quigley over in India. (You can see Quigley’s website over here.) Between us, we were traveling with six kids and I can say it was more than a blast – it was wonderful, awe-inspiring fun!

Here is a little video I made now in collaboration with INTREPID TRAVEL about our trip that includes tips on how to travel in India – staying healthy and happy!

And here are those very tips in a little more detail than you would have seen in the video!

1. Drive in TukTuks – this is the best way to see the streets and feel part of the crazy fun!

2. Eat only vegetarian and cooked food. Stay away from dairy too… I have done multiple trips to India now and as long as I obey this rule I stay healthy. Even our kids have never gotten sick in India! We do eat bananas and things we can peel ourselves, but everything else has to be cooked!

3. Stay somewhere restful. If traveling with kids somewhere like India, spend a little more on your accommodation and stay somewhere amazing and peaceful. It will be a welcome respite to the crazy, fun streets. We stayed at Jas Vilas in Jaipur and it was by far our favorite… They served truly amazing food and as soon as you walk through the gates calm enfolds you.

4. Wear clothing that covers your knees. I am always taking my cues of what to wear from the locals. However I don’t find wearing a sari very practical for me, so we try to be as considerate as possible and cover our knees without wearing anything too revealing. We got stared at enough without adding in some extra skin!

5. Go shopping! India is my absolute favourite place for shopping. Check out markets and stalls and go to where the locals shop because it will be interesting and fascinating and totally exciting and extremely exhausting too!

6. Buy local handcrafts. Actually, whatever you find that you like BUY it NOW! You probably won’t see it again… I always thought ‘I will get that later’, but often you don’t find it again later… you find something else! Having said that, if you do find it again it will definitely be cheaper! LOL!

7. Take photos. Take photos, take photos! It seems obvious, but take loads. I recommend the Panasonic Lumix GX7 as the best little travel camera ever! I LOVE, LOVE it. I am not sponsored to say that – though I would like to be.

8. Use hand sanitizer. Food seriously tastes better eating like a local with your hands, but you are going to want to clean them. So use the sanitizer generously! (We went through lots of this!)

9. Don’t drink the water… (which I think is obvious). But also use bottled water to clean your teeth.

10. Sometimes it is hard to remember to not use the tap water… especially when staying somewhere nice. So we put coloured tape on the taps to help us remember – especially the kids!

11. Have some clothing made. One of my most favourite things to do is get some clothing made. Take your long loved dresses or pants and get them copied! So fun to pick fabric and see it come together.

12. Write a diary. Because it all goes so fast and you may forget wonderful details. It will be a delightful surprise to read it all later!

13. Dance and find festivals that are going on and get involved. India has the most fun festivals… Diwali and Holi are the most well known one, but there’s a stack more so check out what is on when you go!

14. Calming oils.Quigley traveled with this wonderful collection of oils that help with calming… There’s also oils to help you sleep, relieve neck ache and an antiseptic plus a whole bunch more. These were a life saver more than once. Especially the stress relief! Sometimes on the streets with all the chaos and buzz the kids can get overwhelmed… (and the adults!! Ha!) So luckily we had this little roll-on oil that we used, and it really did work! You can contact Quigley for details.

15. Get Henna Tattoo’s (or Mehendi). Find someone on the street or in a mall who can do your hands or feet. It is wonderful fun to watch them doing these amazing designs so fast. This is usually the first thing I do when getting to India!

16. Visit all the Palaces and forts you can. They are astoundingly beautiful and the stories that go with them are just as amazing. Sometimes we just went exploring and seeing what we could find and sometimes we did the audio tour. Both are fun… Younger kids mostly enjoyed the chasing each other through dark passages and finding hidden rooms. Actually I also enjoyed that!!

17. Travel with friends! This one is NOT in the video but I can’t recommend highly enough travelling with good friends… We went to Bali once with some other lovely friends and had loads of fun too… Also we did a Great Ocean Road trip in Kombi’s with more friends. All have been amazing, fun experiences. It really is wonderful as you can get away for a massage or something ‘sans kids’ and the kids have fun together which means you get all this free time to think and chat!!

Also for the photography peeps… I tested out the OUTEX waterproof housing for the Holi festival as I didn’t want paint in my camera, and it worked really well. Afterwards the kids took the camera into the pool and it also worked well there too! Yay!

Well, I hope this helps with any of your travel plans to India or another exotic location! We had a blast and hope you do too!